Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine pledged on Tuesday to be a defender of the NATO alliance and to support President Donald Trump in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon during his confirmation hearing to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

While avoiding getting into specific policies, Caine told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would work to strengthen U.S. alliances if confirmed as the nation’s highest ranking military officer. 

Asked by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to speak to the importance of the NATO alliance, Caine replied, “Allies and partners are a critical component to our ability to protect and defend our values and virtues around the world. NATO is a key component to that. The president’s been clear on his views of the importance of NATO, as has the Secretary [of Defense Pete Hegseth]. Related to whether or not SACEUR [Supreme Allied Commander Europe] stays a U.S. military office, I’ll defer to the president on that. I think that’s a discussion that currently is ongoing, but for me in particular, I value our allies and partners, and if confirmed, that’ll be a significant portion of the job that I have ahead of me.”

Trump suggested last month that NATO countries would not come to the aid of the U.S. if the United States were to come under attack, despite NATO members being bound by Article 5 to assist an attacked member state. “Do you think they’re going to come and protect us? Hmm. They’re supposed to. I’m not so sure,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 

On Iran, Caine responded affirmatively when asked by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) if he agreed with Trump’s conclusion that Tehran could never be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon. When asked if he agreed that “this could be an imminent and existential threat to the United States itself in just a few short years,” Caine told Cotton, “I think that’s an accurate statement.”

Cotton then asked Caine if he would commit to providing Trump with “military options to support what he has said publicly, that if Iran is not willing to make a deal that there will be bombing.” “I think that’s what the job of the joint staff is to do, is to provide a range of options for the president to consider and then allow him to select whatever those options work best for him,” Caine replied. 

Caine also affirmed his commitment to combating terrorism when asked by Sen. Angus King (I-ME) for his assessment of threats to the U.S. as a result of terrorism in Syria and West Africa, among other places. 

“We have to keep our pressure on the terrorists,” King said. “It’s not something, senator, unfortunately we can ever take our eyes off of completely. The challenge that somebody who would want to do harm to us or to our interests around the world is not going to go away anytime soon.”

Caine also faced questions at Tuesday’s hearing about the accuracy of a story the president has repeatedly told that references Caine’s name and alleges he wore a MAGA hat while saying he “loved” Trump and would “kill for [him].” Caine denied the allegations repeatedly, telling Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) that he “went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about somebody else. And I’ve never worn any political merchandise or said anything to that effect.”